Cheryl Blossom
|last_appearance= }} Cheryl Marjorie Blossom is a main character on The CW's Riverdale. She is portrayed by Madelaine Petsch. Cheryl is the daughter of the late Clifford and Penelope Blossom, and the twin sister of the late Jason Blossom, who suffered a tragic demise mysteriously on July 11th. Cheryl's relationship with her family seemed to be quite strained ever since Jason's death. Her mother blamed her for assisting Jason in his attempt to run away from Riverdale, which essentially is what led to his demise. Cheryl's father thought of her as a train wreck in comparison to Jason, who was considered the "Golden Boy". She is a student, head cheerleader of the River Vixens and the self-proclaimed Queen Bee at Riverdale High School, as well as the aunt to Jason and Polly's twin babies. Cheryl is in a relationship with Toni Topaz and has recently joined the Southside Serpents. However, Cheryl and Toni are later exiled from the Serpents by Jughead after they failed to abide by Serpent code and burglarized the Pembrooke. Character Description Rich, entitled and never accountable. Cheryl Blossom is a manipulative mean girl who kills with kindness, she recently lost her twin brother in a mysterious accident.[http://deadline.com/2016/02/riverdale-cheryl-blossom-cw-pilot-madelaine-petsch-1201708939/ ‘Riverdale’ CW Pilot Finds Cheryl Blossom - Deadline] Early Life Cheryl Blossom was born and raised in Riverdale alongside her twin brother Jason to Clifford and Penelope Blossom. During her childhood, the Blossom family had an ongoing feud with the Cooper family, and Jason's involvement with the Cooper's oldest daughter Polly only adds fuel to this fire, though the feud later subsided a little after Cheryl's father's death. Cheryl is one of the most popular students at Riverdale High School as well as captain of the River Vixens, a cheerleading squad. She is close friends with Josie McCoy, but she was closer to her brother Jason than anyone else. According to herself, he always protected her. When they were younger, Cheryl always insisted on having a separate birthday despite the fact that she and Jason were twins, until one year he randomly recommended that they combine their birthdays. It wasn't until years later that Cheryl discovered the reason for this, which was that no one would come to her birthday if she held it separately. He protected her, and not just from that one incident, but throughout their entire lives. As a child, Cheryl remembered her mother telling her and Jason bedtime stories about the Sugarman, not knowing that he was a real person, who was heavily involved in her father's drug dealing operation. Her mother concocted the story of the Sugarman to turn an all-too-real monster into a child's bogeyman. Hoping to protect them from the danger that followed the Sugarman, she and Jason were told to stay in their rooms whenever he would visit Thornhill. When Cheryl was in junior high, she befriended a girl named Heather. The girls grew immensely close, and often had sleepovers. What started as friendship, soon grew into love. Unfortunately, one night, Cheryl's mother caught them in bed together. Penelope grew furious and presumably banished Heather from Cheryl’s life. Physical Appearance Cheryl is a teenager with a slim body shape, around 5'6" tall. One of her most notable features is her long, wavy ginger-red hair that often drapes her left shoulder. She also has dark brown eyes, full lips, and rather pale skin. Undeniably, red lipstick is a signature part of her makeup look. Cheryl also dresses in very fashionable clothing; she typically wears modern, colorful dresses and skirts which show off her slender figure. In particular, Cheryl tends to favor red clothes. Personality Raised in a rich household, it's not fully Cheryl's fault she embraces the typical mean girl/queen bee persona, as she was neglected by her parents during her childhood. She often walks around the school as if it belongs to her, and she won't hesitate to contest anyone who believes differently, thriving off the fear and intimidation she traffics in from her fellow classmates. Cheryl's more notable personality traits typically consist of her being shallow, vain, and conceited. Not to mention she is unquestionably self-absorbed. Cheryl tries to be kind at times, though most of the time, when she is kind, she uses her kindness to use people to her advantage. First and foremost, Cheryl's biggest concern usually falls on her appearance, she's rarely ever thinking about anyone other than herself, though her brother Jason may have been an exception to this. She genuinely loved her brother more than anything. Because Cheryl was raised in a rich household, people may think of her as snobby and arrogant. As such, at times, Cheryl is not as horrid as she would like people to believe. She can be kind, and she does have a softer side, although she hardly ever shows it. Aside from her relationship with her brother, she also appears to have a very close friendship with Josie McCoy. The two girls are seemingly best friends, if not very close. When one calls in a favor, the other won't hesitate to assist their close friend. Following the discovery that Jason was killed by their father, and then Clifford's subsequent suicide, Cheryl's mental state took a drastic turn for the worst. With two people gone from her immediate family, it left her distraught and incapable of continuing with life. Because of this, Cheryl attempted to take her own life at Sweetwater River, though her attempt was later unsuccessful due to Archie saving her. After Archie saved her, Cheryl realized she did not have a need to take her life. Though she later recovered mentally, the crumbling of her family was too much for Cheryl to handle, she could barely withstand being at Thornhill as it created too much instability for her because so many terrible memories were housed there. To start over, she burned the Blossom mansion to the ground. After the fall of Thornhill, no one truly knew how the fire started besides her mother and herself. After Penelope was admitted to the Riverdale General Hospital, she blackmailed and threatened her mother, telling her that if she told the authorities about how the fire started, she would expose what really happened in the barn with her father. Cheryl was done with the abuse her parents gave her. As a result, the darker, more assertive side of Cheryl came to light and declared that she was no longer going to take any more of it. The darker side of Cheryl is revealed immediately as she even went as far as to constrict her mother's air tube. As she suffocated her mother, she told her that the only reason she is breathing and living was because her daughter gave her the air to do so, which meant that Penelope would be allowed to live if things were going to change for the better. As it appears, Cheryl's dark side grew stronger each day, as she would go to great lengths in order to achieve her goals. To others, they may not see this side of Cheryl, for she hides the darkness inside of her, behind her smile, as if she is innocent. When Cheryl discovered that Chuck Clayton had feelings for her best friend Josie, due to Chucks past history, she did everything in her power to prevent Josie from getting hurt like the rest of Chucks victims. However, that did not seem to be the case this time, as Chuck had changed for the better, though no one believed it. Instead, Cheryl was doing this for herself, as she wanted Josie all to herself, and in order to do that, she needed to set Chuck up for the perfect opportunity, involving her using a pigs heart. With Chucks past history, this made the task easier for Cheryl to paint a picture of him for Josie. Relationships *Cheryl and Penelope *Cheryl and Archie *Cheryl and Jason *Cheryl and Betty *Cheryl and Veronica *Cheryl and Josie *Cheryl and Polly Other Relationships Clifford Blossom The father-daughter relationship between Clifford and Cheryl was quite strained and distant following Jason's death, especially when Clifford and her mother, Penelope found out that she helped Jason runaway on a boat ride out to Greendale. While their relationship prior to Jason's death is mostly unknown, Cheryl had often referred to her brother as the golden boy, suggesting that their parents at the very least, treated Jason better than they did her. She was looked at by her father as nothing more than a train wreck, which he told Archie Andrews during one of their conversations at the Blossom Banquet. Coming as no surprise, their relationship worsened after she found out that Clifford was Jason's killer. ---- Tina Patel and Ginger Lopez The friendship between Cheryl, Tina, and Ginger was very good in the beginning. The trio were "besties" and cheerleading teammates on the River Vixens. Together, they held all the power, especially with Cheryl as their team captain. However, they had a falling out when Betty challenged the current leadership which resulted in Tina and Ginger voting for a new River Vixens captain, the new girl, Veronica Lodge. Dethroned and betrayed, Cheryl immediately "unfriended" the two and hasn't looked back at her former friends since, even after Cheryl and Veronica reconciled their relationship later on. ---- Jughead Jones The relationship between Cheryl Blossom and Jughead Jones has ranged from distant, at best, to hostile, at worst, with the latter becoming a reality after Cheryl discovered that Jughead's father, FP, supposedly killed her brother, Jason. However, Cheryl immediately apologized to Jughead for her savage attack on him after it was revealed that FP was merely covering for her father, Clifford, who was the actual killer. In order to make up for the harm she caused, she gave Jughead an expensive spider brooch. However, as previously stated, the dynamics of their relationship has been known to shift, though on many instances, they're at the very least cordial with one another. Towards the end of the second season, they become rather close as Jughead, becoming the Serpent King, has his first duty of giving Cheryl her own red Serpent Jacket. Welcoming her into their family. ---- Toni Topaz Toni and Cheryl are indeed in a relationship. Their first encounter was at the Riverdale Drag Race, when Cheryl took Toni's place as flag girl. They ran into each other again in the bathroom, after Toni confronted Cheryl for telling Jughead that Betty and Archie had kissed. Toni perceived Cheryl's attitude as a defense mechanisms to hide her pain and called her on it though Cheryl stormed off. Cheryl later found herself in another encounter with Toni at the Bijou. Both without a date, they saw the film together. Afterward, they went to Pop's, and Cheryl opened up about how everyone hated her and a friend that she had in Junior high named Heather that she had lost touch with. In this moment of vulnerability, Toni comforted Cheryl and told her that she was sensational. Since then, their relationship has blossomed. Cheryl inviting Toni to her father's Will-Reading as well as a sleepover at Thistlehouse after Toni joined the River Vixens. That night, Cheryl confessed that she only wanted to invite Toni, but she knew her mother wouldn't approve. They almost kissed, but were interrupted by Nana Rose's fall. Cheryl is later taken to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, where her mother forces her to begin conversion therapy due to her relationship with Toni. Toni and Veronica went on a rescue mission to help Cheryl escape Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Toni and Cheryl shared a kiss, before escaping. They are later seen holding hands. In the days that followed, Cheryl stayed at Toni's as she didn't wish to return to Thistlehouse with her mother and uncle. Toni is advised by Kevin to see how Cheryl is, as they are close; they share a deep moment as Toni comforts Cheryl about her losing the role of Carrie White in the musical. Toni proudly watches as her girlfriend receives her custom Serpent jacket, officially joining the gang. ---- Kevin Keller The relationship between Cheryl and Kevin is currently under developed due to lack of interaction. However, they have been seen seated next to each other during multiple occasions. There had been a few moments were they have clicked, such as during the Carrie the Musical; however, that is quickly dissolved after Cheryl threatens his father's position as Sheriff. Despite the drastic differences between the two, she is rather understanding of the daily struggles Kevin faces with his need for validation, even at the cost of his own life. Appearances Season 1 * * * * * * * * * * * * Season 2 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Season 3 * * * * * * * * * * * Trivia *Madelaine Petsch has created a Twitter account for her role as Cheryl, named @CherylBombshell. She has recently started tweeting.[http://comicbook.com/2016/07/28/riverdales-cheryl-blossom-twitter-account-is-real/ Riverdale's Cheryl Blossom Twitter Account Is Real - ComicBook.com] *Cheryl has a 4.0 grade point average. *Cheryl is younger than Jason by three minutes. *Cheryl is often seen wearing brooches. Her most notable being a 1930's vintage red Bakelite and brass spider brooch, which, depending on its condition, has a value of up to $700 dollars. *Cheryl seems to have excellent drawing skills, as shown in "Chapter Twenty: Tales from the Darkside". * Cheryl is a skilled archer, as shown in "Chapter Twenty-Six: The Tell-Tale Heart", "Chapter Thirty-Four: Judgment Night" and "Chapter Thirty-Six: Labor Day" *Whilst Madelaine Petsch is a vegan in real life, Cheryl appears to not be one as in "Chapter Twenty: Tales from the Darkside" she is seen eating a burger in Pop's. Although, it could very well be a vegan burger. *Cheryl seems to speak French, this is shown in multiple occasions. One notable moment is one she refers to Toni as "mon cherie," meaning "my dear" in French. Notes *In the Archie Comics, Cheryl was a controversial recurring, later main character. * Cheryl first appeared in August 1982 in "Betty and Veronica #320" in a story called "Dare To Be Bare." *Contrary to the TV series, Cheryl was introduced as a teen "femme fatale" setting to shake a bit the love triangle between Betty, Archie, and Veronica. **For this reason, she has a love-hate relationship with both Betty and Veronica. *In the various iterations of the comics, she has had many flirts and love interests, including Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, Dilton Doiley and Moose Mason among the best-known characters. *Rumor has it, Cheryl and Jason were written off from earlier iterations of the Archie Comics two years after their introduction because she was considered "too sexual" for child readers. [http://ldloveszh.tripod.com/mark/cherlfaq.html Cheryl Blossom was initially written off from Archie Comics] ** Cheryl returned in Veronica, Vol. 1, No. 39, published twelve years later, in December 1994. *In the comics, Cheryl and Jason Blossom attended Pembrooke Academy, which is now the name of the building where Veronica and Hermione live. **In the Riverdale tie-in comic series, they attended Riverdale High School instead. However, she attends the Pembrooke Academy in the 2015 Archie relaunch. *In "Cheryl Blossom #34," a subsection of the Archie Comics published in 2013, it's revealed that she is usually rescuing stray animals, and is very fond of her Pomeranian dog named Sugar. See Also *Blossom Tree Tapping Ceremony *Blossom Banquet *Cheryl's End-of-Summer Pool Party Gallery References Category:Riverdale Characters Category:Main Characters (Riverdale) Category:Season 1 Characters (Riverdale) Category:Season 2 Characters (Riverdale) Category:Season 3 Characters (Riverdale) Category:Season 4 Characters (Riverdale) Category:LGBT+ Category:Females Category:River Vixens Category:Blossom Family Category:Riverdale Residents Category:Northsiders Category:Southside Serpents Category:Pretty Poisons Category:Farmies Category:No-Majes Category:Sisters Category:Girlfriends